Shoe-fastener.



770. 777,177. lATB177TEIHAN.6 1.905.

A. MIKKELSON.

SHOE FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11. 1904.

I/Z QZZZZZIeZGOr Patented January 3, 1905.

NITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

ALBERT MIKKELSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOE-FASTENE'R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,127, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed February 1'7, 1904:. Serial No. 193,973.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT MIKKELSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Shoe- Fastener, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved construction of shoe-fastener, the object being to provide a device which can be used in connection with an ordinary shoe and by means of which the front opening of said shoe can be quickly and easily closed and the use of laces and clasps entirely dispensed with.

Another object is to provide a quick-acting form of shoe-fastener which will not become impaired by constant use and which will not be aflected by dampness, thereby obviating the defects incidental .to the well-known construction of gaiter in which elastic goring is employed.

With these objects in view my invention consists, essentially, in the employment of a flat spring-metal band which is arranged in the upper edge of the shoe top or upper and which serves to hold the top of the shoe firmly closed around the ankle, and in connection with said spring-metal band I employ two spring-metal strips pivotally connected at their upper ends to the ends of the springmetal band, said metal strips being secured to the shoe top or upper upon opposite sides of the front opening, said metal strips serving to maintain the shape of the shoe top or upper and prevent bulging of the same at the front opening.

The invention consists also in certain details hereinafter fully described, and pointed out I in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of a shoe provided with my improved construction of fastener, said fastener being shown in dotted lines, the shoe being represented closed or fastened. Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the fastener detached from the shoe. Fig. 3 is a front view of the same, the ends of the spring -band being partially separated; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line L 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the top portion of a shoe-upper, B the vamp, and

G the front opening of the top of the upper, all of said parts being of the usual construction.

' D indicates a flat spring-metal band divided at I) and having the flat spring-metal strips E pivotally connected at their upper ends to the ends of the band, as shown at E.

The band D is essentially circular in shape and is arranged in the extreme upper edge of the top of the upper, and the metal strips E are secured in the opposing edges of the front opening of the shoe upper, said band and. strips being secured by rows of stitching, as shown at F. The band D being circular in form maintains the upper edge of the top in that shape and securely holds the top to the ankle of the wearer, and whenever the ends of the band are separated for the purpose of opening the shoe the inherent elasticity of the spring-metal band will return the shoe-top to its normal position as soon as the ends of the band are released. The strips E are normally shaped to conform to the shape of the instep, and they therefore serve to hold the meeting edges of the front opening in proper shape and prevent the said edges bulging, as they would if these strips were omitted.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A shoe-fastener comprising a flat springmetal band, adapted to be connected to the upper edge of the shoe upper, and the flat spring-metal strips connected to the ends of the spring-metal band, and adapted to be attached to the shoe-upper, upon opposite sides of the front opening.

2. The combination with a shoe, of a springmetal band arranged at the top of the upper of said shoe, and extending from one edge of the upper entirely around the top of the same, to the opposite edge of the upper, and the spring-metal strips secured in the opposing edges of the upper, the upper ends of said strips being connected to the ends of the spring-metal bands the lower ends of said strips resting adjacent the juncture of the upper and vamp, of the shoe.

ALBERT MIKKELSON.

IVitnesses:

O. B. ANDERSON, AUGUST ORTLEPP. 

